it. Better than good, and Queen Victoria was a fool for ever doubting him. "Tell the housekeeper to put you in the bedchamber adjoining the schoolroom. If you find that unsatisfactory, make improvements as you wish. I'll tell the woman your wishes supersede all else."
The governess stopped just short of the door. "The woman?"
"The housekeeper." He scrambled to remember her name. "Bertha or Betty or some such."
The governess didn't move. "Is she new to your household, then?"
"Relatively. Seven years. Ten. I don't know." What did the blasted governess want? Why didn't she leave?
She readied to speak, and already Kerrich recognized the spark in her eyes. He had somehow displeased her. She would render a tongue-lashing. He would bestow a set-down. And the woman would know her place.
But a tap at the door saved her the much-needed reprimand.
"Enter," he called impatiently.
Moultonthe butler who was so much more than a butlerstepped through and announced, "My lord, Mr. Lewis Athersmith."
His cousin had answered Kerrich's summons at last.
Kerrich and Moulton exchanged satisfied glances; now their plan could proceed.
"I'll be out of your way," Miss Lockhart said with schoolmistresslike briskness.
"Yes." The sight of the whey-faced, pinch-mouthed, purple-clad governess only reminded him of the staggering run of misfortune he had experienced. He didn't understand how any of it had come to be. A mere month ago, everything had been as it should. He had his title, his fortune, his income, his good looks, his health, an upstanding family, a mistress in his bed, debutantes to flirt with, the respect and good will of everyone in the ton, the fear of his enemies all was right with the world.
Then his favorite horse had come up lame, the senior upstairs maid had appeared in his bedchamber stark naked, his mistress had taken umbrage and left in a snit, he'd suffered the catastrophic interview with Queen Victoria, he'd fled to Norfolk imagining that there in the peace and beauty of his country estate he would be able to conceive of a way to appease the queen and her pompous consort.
Only to seek shelter during a rainstorm, and find that infernal contraption in an abandoned hut.
He hadn't even known what it was at first. And him, a banker! Then he had realized, and at the same time he realized his danger. My God, if the villains caught him! He had run from that hut, given instructions that everyone on the estate stay away from the area, and ridden to the train station at top speed. In London, he had gone at once to the correct officials to report the crime and demand they take actiononly to discover it was not so easy.
And that was Lewis's fault.
He and Miss Lockhart met his cousin in the entry.
"A new butler, Kerrich?" Lewis watched as Moulton walked away. "I thought you'd never retire old McCutcheon."
"He's off visiting his daughter for the moment," Kerrich lied.
Catching sight of Miss Lockhart, Lewis bowed, his blond hair flopping over his furrowed brow. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't see you."
Miss Lockhart curtsied, and Kerrich reflected bitterly that she probably approved of Lewis. Kerrich and Lewis were of an age, but while Kerrich knew without conceit that he had been blessed with most of the good looks, no one who looked at Lewis would think him anything but good. A cleric, perhaps, or a professor. In the Mathewes family, Lewis had received all the sincerity, resolution and intensity.
Who would have thought those very attributes would lead to his downfall?
"My lord, who is this lovely young man?" Miss Lockhart asked, approval in her ringing tone.
"My cousin, Mr. Lewis Athersmith. Lewis, this is the governess."
"The governess?" Lewis appeared stunned.
"The governess." Let Lewis make of that what he wished.
But the woman pointed her umbrella at Kerrich like a tutor taking a pupil to task. "Lord Kerrich, what is my name?"
"What? What?" He looked hard at her. The light and shadow of the entry sliced at her
The governess stopped just short of the door. "The woman?"
"The housekeeper." He scrambled to remember her name. "Bertha or Betty or some such."
The governess didn't move. "Is she new to your household, then?"
"Relatively. Seven years. Ten. I don't know." What did the blasted governess want? Why didn't she leave?
She readied to speak, and already Kerrich recognized the spark in her eyes. He had somehow displeased her. She would render a tongue-lashing. He would bestow a set-down. And the woman would know her place.
But a tap at the door saved her the much-needed reprimand.
"Enter," he called impatiently.
Moultonthe butler who was so much more than a butlerstepped through and announced, "My lord, Mr. Lewis Athersmith."
His cousin had answered Kerrich's summons at last.
Kerrich and Moulton exchanged satisfied glances; now their plan could proceed.
"I'll be out of your way," Miss Lockhart said with schoolmistresslike briskness.
"Yes." The sight of the whey-faced, pinch-mouthed, purple-clad governess only reminded him of the staggering run of misfortune he had experienced. He didn't understand how any of it had come to be. A mere month ago, everything had been as it should. He had his title, his fortune, his income, his good looks, his health, an upstanding family, a mistress in his bed, debutantes to flirt with, the respect and good will of everyone in the ton, the fear of his enemies all was right with the world.
Then his favorite horse had come up lame, the senior upstairs maid had appeared in his bedchamber stark naked, his mistress had taken umbrage and left in a snit, he'd suffered the catastrophic interview with Queen Victoria, he'd fled to Norfolk imagining that there in the peace and beauty of his country estate he would be able to conceive of a way to appease the queen and her pompous consort.
Only to seek shelter during a rainstorm, and find that infernal contraption in an abandoned hut.
He hadn't even known what it was at first. And him, a banker! Then he had realized, and at the same time he realized his danger. My God, if the villains caught him! He had run from that hut, given instructions that everyone on the estate stay away from the area, and ridden to the train station at top speed. In London, he had gone at once to the correct officials to report the crime and demand they take actiononly to discover it was not so easy.
And that was Lewis's fault.
He and Miss Lockhart met his cousin in the entry.
"A new butler, Kerrich?" Lewis watched as Moulton walked away. "I thought you'd never retire old McCutcheon."
"He's off visiting his daughter for the moment," Kerrich lied.
Catching sight of Miss Lockhart, Lewis bowed, his blond hair flopping over his furrowed brow. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't see you."
Miss Lockhart curtsied, and Kerrich reflected bitterly that she probably approved of Lewis. Kerrich and Lewis were of an age, but while Kerrich knew without conceit that he had been blessed with most of the good looks, no one who looked at Lewis would think him anything but good. A cleric, perhaps, or a professor. In the Mathewes family, Lewis had received all the sincerity, resolution and intensity.
Who would have thought those very attributes would lead to his downfall?
"My lord, who is this lovely young man?" Miss Lockhart asked, approval in her ringing tone.
"My cousin, Mr. Lewis Athersmith. Lewis, this is the governess."
"The governess?" Lewis appeared stunned.
"The governess." Let Lewis make of that what he wished.
But the woman pointed her umbrella at Kerrich like a tutor taking a pupil to task. "Lord Kerrich, what is my name?"
"What? What?" He looked hard at her. The light and shadow of the entry sliced at her
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